Improvement in smelting iron and other ores



RICHARD. Daunen-cox AND wittmnfrnnnntin fcoX, 0F- PHILADEL- ruin, rnNNsYLVANIAlj Innes ramt No. 113,401, ama Apru 4, 1811,

`miPn vEwi1-z1-rrliii'smlsisrine. mon Ann OTHER ones.

The Schedule referred to in these Let-texi Patent and making part of the same.

We,R1oHA1 tn DARNEL Cox and VtTInLIAlicr FRANK- LIN 00X, both of Philadelphia, couutywof Philadelphia, St-ate of Pennsylvania, have invented a Process of Smelting Orcs, and Appliances'for conducting the process, of which the following is a specification.

l Nature and Object ofthe Intention. V

Our iuventioncnsistsof a process, too fully explained hereafter ytoneed preliminary description, of smelting ores without bringing them into contact with thefuel, which in Vmany cases Vis ofA such a character as to interfere with the process of reduction 01u' invention further consists of a furnaceaud appliances, described hereafter, for carrying the process into eect.' t

Description of the-Accompanying Drawing.

' Figure 1 isarerticaljsection of our improved smeltin gfurnace ,Figure 2, a sectional 'plan on -the line 12, g. 1 and f Figure, an enlarged sectional iiew of one of the tuyeres.

- General Description. 4 It is well knownv that in luany'locaiit'ies in the West A whereiron-or'e is abundant, the neighboring coal is of a quality which precludes its use for 4smelting purposes; hence it 'becomes necessary-to transport-the' o re to the neighborhood 4of available coal-fields, or to convey the desired coal to the point where the ore is abundant.l

Our invention li'as been designed with the view of utilizing this hithertoobjectionable coal by rendering it arailable for smelting purposes, 'therebyavoiding the expensive system of transportation which hashithc iftgrV 'been' practiced. y

lhe'diiiioulty -in using coal of the character 'referred 'to'forsmelting purposes has arisen from what has fliitherto'heen considered the necessity of bringing the -nre intoimmediate' contact with. theV burning'fcoal, wl'iih, although ,available for generating heat, gives outsuch an amount of slag and refuse as' 'to-interfere with-the process of smelting. A

`We overcome thisdiiiculty by maintaining the ore fiee from the fuel, and directing the products of corn-Y bustoll only to the ore in the manner we will now proceed to describe.

' In the present instance, the reducingchamber con' sists of. alsimple circular fine', A, formed within an -anuularstructure similar to au ordinary chimney, and this structure is supported on a base, B, resting on a suitable foundation, D.'

Adjacent to this structure are built any desired 'number of lire-places E, there being in the present instance four, each fire-place having a grate, b, and ashpit d furnished with suitable doors, and each lire-place4 being roofed over, so that there is no escape for the products of combustion excepting through iopeningse into the reducing-chamberA. These openings are inclined upward from the fire-places, andere of such dimensions that the `ore in the chamber cannot escape through them.

In the roof or wall of each tire-place is built or fitted a tuyere, f, the' tapering end of which is directed into one of the opeingse, audiuto each tuyere 'projects a nozzle, G r, communicating with 'a steam-,pipe from a boiler invwhich the steam is maintained at ahigh pressure. v f Y The fuel in the fire-place having been 'properly kindled, steam is admitted to the nozzles',from which it escapes with great'force, and in n superheated condiare directed downward and flow through passages h.

into the general receiving-chamber K, formed inthe foundation B, from which the slag and' metal may .be

Vseparately drawn, as in'ordinary reducing-furnaces.' The molten metal is prevented from escaping through.

the opcnings'c by the said recess'.4

'lhe reducing-chamber may ,be of comparatively small dimensions, asthe reduction of the ore is rapid and continuous, and the entire structure may be of a simple andinexpensive character compared with ordinary blast-furnaces. v

` It is not essential in carrying out my invention to adhere in every particular to the structure illustrated and described. The number of fire-places, for instance, may be increased or diminished ,according to thesize ofthe furnace, and may be arranged in respect to the reducing-chamber in a manner differing from that described-in any manner, in fact, which will insure the direction of the products of combustion or gases by the steam-jets to .the openings a.

The number of jets of steam may be increased according to the size of the apertures e, and provision should be made to regulate the supply of steam and thequantity of air admitted with the steam.

' substantially as set forth.

Instead of directing theynnolten metal and slag to a central rs'ervoir,'tbey may pass to any suitablerecept-4 lacies'outside the strilcture.

Weprefer, however, `to build the furnace in the simple manner described, Vthe refplaces being inde-v pendentstructures, which can be removed and rebuilt without disturbing the. furnace;

The reservoir'K should be of sucient dimensions to admit an operative afterthe coolingof the furnace,

l for the purpose of relining'. the interior with refractory mater-lab'. or for the-purpose of clearing the passages to the reducing-chamher.` As the usual air-blast is dispensed with, the only necessary adjunct to the furnace is an adjacent steam- Claims. l 1` The reduction ot' a massofore 'ina chamber, by

cansing'jets of-steam to direct to the orethe produ-cts of combustion or gases united withthe said steam, all

Y 2.' Afu'rnace in which the products of combustion, with air, and a jet or jetsoi' steam are united atthe tuyere-openings, as set' forth.

for containing 'the ore, a. lire-place or lire-places, and a steam-nozzle or nozzles are combined and arranged substantially in the manner described.

4; The combinatom-sub'stauti lly as described, of the air-pipe G and its Yinternal steam-nozzle H, with fa. fire-place and'with a'tuyere-opening, 'e,.o t` a reduc.

ing-furnace.

5. 'lhecom'bination of the reducing-chamber A,'re cessed bed x, tuyere-openngs e, and passages hy'for the escape of the molteumetal.

6. .'.lhe central reservoir K, arranged below the re ducing-chamber A1,'and communicatingwith the same through openings h, as set forth.l In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this 'specicat-ion in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD, D. 00X.

WILLIAM LF.l COX. Witnesses:

WM. A. STEEL, l

FRANKLIN B. RIcHARDs.

3. A smelting-furnace in which a reducing-chamber 

